Search and rescue teams at the scene of the explosion at Wood Flour Mills in Cheshire

Four people feared dead after a mill explosion have been named by police.

William Barks (51), Dorothy Bailey (62), Jason Shingler (38) and Derek Moore (62) are still missing in the devastated wreckage of the wood flour mill after an explosion and 1,000 centigrade inferno reduced the four-storey building to rubble.

Police and fire chiefs say fire and rescue teams have worked non-stop since the blast around 9.10am on Friday at the mill in the village of Bosley, Cheshire.

But fire chiefs concede the chances of finding the four alive are fading.

Yesterday it emerged council officers had been on the site two weeks ago to supervise a clean-up.

Michael Jones, leader of Cheshire East council, said: “We were there to clean up a situation of dust particles in the area, at the exterior to it, that shouldn’t have been in there and we did clear it up and we have got before and after pictures showing what a job they did and they did comply completely with our orders.”